Cardinals Hand Rookie QB Carson Beck the Keys for Hall of Fame Game

The NFL preseason is officially back, and we are kicking things off with the most glorious, sloppy tradition in sports: the Hall of Fame game.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is handing the keys to rookie quarterback Carson Beck to start Thursday night's exhibition.

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"Adam Schefter reported the news via Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur."

The Hall of Fame game is usually a graveyard of third-stringers fighting for practice squad spots, making it a tough watch for anyone not actively holding a betting slip. But throwing a rookie quarterback out there actually gives us a reason to keep the TV on past the first quarter.

Beck gets to make his unofficial NFL debut in a game where half the guys on the field will be selling real estate by September. It is the ultimate baptism by fire, or at least baptism by guys trying really hard to make special teams.

For the degenerates already eyeing the preseason lines, a rookie starter usually means a slightly longer leash for the starting offense. LaFleur is going to want to see what he has in his new signal-caller before handing the game over to the guys wearing numbers in the 80s.

Beck will take his first live snaps against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. We will see if the rookie can string together a few drives before the game inevitably devolves into a punting contest.